At a family gathering, a young woman was asked why she cut the ends off the ham she had brought to the meal. “My mom always cut the ends off,” she replied. The young lady asked her mother later why she cut the ends off the ham. “I’m not sure, but my mother used toContinue reading “Family Traditions: A Recipe for Realization”
Tag Archives: Stoicism
We Were Meant To Be Courageous
What does it take to stand up for your beliefs? Have you ever asked yourself what you would do if you were faced with giving up or fighting back? We are witnessing an interesting phenomenon in our country and our world right now. People are fighting back, sometimes literally. The unrest is real and palpable,Continue reading “We Were Meant To Be Courageous”
Readings: Man’s Search For Meaning (Suffering and Success)
In many ways, Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search For Meaning” is a memoir and a treatise on human tenacity. In one way, it tells of Frankl’s hardships in the Nazi imprisonment camps, Auschwitz being the worst. In another manner, the book gives us insight into how we can endure in the hardest of times and theContinue reading “Readings: Man’s Search For Meaning (Suffering and Success)”
Resume and Remain: Fighting Back After the Pandemic
It finally came. The day we had all waited for. The studio has reopened for us to get back on the mat. Now we can all take a deep sigh of relief… cautiously. As we reopen and resume our martial arts training, what does it look like? Is it perfectly identical to the way itContinue reading “Resume and Remain: Fighting Back After the Pandemic”
What Mortal Kombat Taught Me About Knowledge
Philosophy from a video game. “Finish him,” was the famous phrase heard on Mortal Kombat 3 when it came time to obliterate your opponent. You might remember the drunken wobble Raiden does just before Sub-Zero uppercuts him into oblivion. Good times. As a kid, another part of the game always stood out: the opening credits.Continue reading “What Mortal Kombat Taught Me About Knowledge”
Why Me?: Unfairness and Life
“No fair,” cries my son when he thinks his sister got a bigger piece of candy. “No fair,” he cries when I tell him he can’t go outside and play until he cleans his room. I politely remind him that sometimes, life isn’t fair. We see this often with children, but we don’t recognize itContinue reading “Why Me?: Unfairness and Life”
Readings: Atomic Habits (Changing Your Environment, part 1)
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to keep up that workout routine or why you can’t stay on top of your diet? Maybe you can’t seem to make that work deadline because social media or video games rob you of much needed time. We often think we can change our habits through willpowerContinue reading “Readings: Atomic Habits (Changing Your Environment, part 1)”
Persevering with Patience (Perspective for a Pandemic)
Amid the mire of COVID-19 (the Corona Virus), I have been soul-searching for what matters most in life. Judging by the pilfering of the bread aisle and toilet paper from grocery stores, it would seem that many think bathroom visits and toast are essential to human prosperity. The world is watching, waiting to see whatContinue reading “Persevering with Patience (Perspective for a Pandemic)”
Readings: The Obstacle is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
Continuing with a previous post about failure and how it can lead to successes, I want to discuss a book I am reading. For Christmas, I received Ryan Holiday’s “The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Are of Turning Trials into Triumph.” I have been a follower of Holiday’s blog, The Daily Stoic, and I’veContinue reading “Readings: The Obstacle is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph”
Are You Using Your Fear Properly?
If not, here’s how you can make the most of it. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Continue reading “Are You Using Your Fear Properly?”
Joshua Clements Writes 